The Origins of Katrina Wailer
by Rosto'sGirl
Summary: Katrina Wailer is many things; intelligent, determined, mechanically inclined. A young woman that had her head in the clouds and a mind set on helping people in any way she could. She wasn't always a scientist for the Plumbers. All heroes have their origin stories...and this one is hers.


**Recently, I posted another Ben 10 one-shot for my good friend newbienovelistRD. In it, I inserted an OC of my own creation, and I fell in love with the deep characterization I came up with, but didn't show. In preparation of the chance I start writing more one-shots with her in them, I have decided to write down her story; how she became a scientist of amazing tech, how she became associated with the plumbers, and the story of what makes her Katrina Wailer.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **I do not own Ben 10 or any of its characters.**

 **Rachel Jocklin and the Grant Mansion belongs to GoldenGuardian2418.**

 **I only own Katrina and her story.**

 **Special thanks to newbienovelistRD for helping me out when I got stuck.**

* * *

 _Every person has an origin story, whether you're a crime fighting superhero that saves the world from constant peril..._

 _Or a nerd that eventually became noticed for all your hard work, dedication, and talent._

 _Some of you may wonder just how I became...well, me._

 _I've always loved the idea of superheroes, fighting crime, saving people...even saving the world! I used to dream of becoming a hero when I was younger. Now, however, I've outgrown that. Instead, I help out these heroes in any way that I can...sometimes I wonder just what made the Plumbers notice me, even though they've told me they had been keeping an eye on me for awhile now._

 _In order for you to understand what I do, you need to start at the beginning...when I first came onto the Plumbers' radar. This actually happened after a tragic event that left the usual mental scarring and emotional turmoil that I have learned to cope with over the years...it doesn't hurt nearly as much to tell as it once did._

 _It all started when I was at the tender age of fourteen, when my life turned upside down._

* * *

The young girl watched blankly as the coffin was lowered slowly into the ground. She walked stiffly towards the gaping crater, her hand griping a white rose tightly. The biting of the rose's thorns was nonexistent due to the cold numbness that had enveloped her body. Her pale hand hovered over the hole, fingers uncurling until the single rose slipped free and plummeted into the endless darkness.

Her green eyes were dull and dry, all of her tears already shed during many sleepless nights crying and grieving. The last ray of sunshine of her life was gone, stolen by the cold claws of death. She didn't acknowledge the condolences of the few people that attended the funeral. She was lost in a dark dungeon within her mind of dark thoughts and grief. As if they could sense her mood, they heavens opened up, rain pouring down in thick sheets and soaking her to the bone.

Her red hair, pulled back in a simple pony-tail, was quickly turning dark brown as it absorbed the water. Her glasses fogged, and she made no effort to clean them. Her black dress hung on her shivering frame as water began to drip from the soaked material. Slowly, she slipped to her knees, grassy green eyes fixed on the marble stone before her.

 _Isaac Timothy Wailer  
Beloved older brother, role model, and guardian._

Katrina couldn't process it; if he were still alive, Isaac would tease her about her "giant brain" going into overload. This thought only made her even more depressed. How could she survive without him? Isaac was her rock; her cheerleader; her protector...he'd been a bigger part of her life than her parents ever were. What was she suppose to do without him in her life?

She was about to head to college, her high IQ establishing her as a prodigy child. All of her life so far, she had been surrounded by people older than her. She'd already experienced bullying at its peak in high school. What if it only escalated once she was in college? Not to mention the fact that she was entering a male dominated field.

"Isaac, why did you have to leave me?" Katrina whispered, her voice showing just how broken she really was. "I'm not ready to be alone..."

* * *

 _And I wasn't. Isaac had been there for me my entire life, and he was taken from me in an instant. All because some teens made the decision to drive home from a party drunk. After I lost my big brother, I felt like I lost myself. What was I suppose to do? My parents had never been a part of my life, my father dying before I was born and my mother dying while giving birth to me. I was all alone with no idea what to do._

 _Well, I went to college, while also living with a foster family for two years until I could prove that I was independent with a stable job and ability to live on my own._

 _College was great; it was where I was finally able to explore my passion to its fullest extent. Even back then, I knew mechanics and machinery was what I wanted to be involved in. Seeing how things worked, what made them tick, creating new inventions...it was my dream._

 _However, being nineteen and a college graduate with a Bachelor's of Science in Mechanical Engineering does not guarantee you an amazing job doing what you love. I had to work my way up, doing little jobs here and there. Despite my degree and accomplishments, I still lacked "experience"..._

 _Meaning, I was too young._

 _It took awhile, but after months of tinkering in my apartment and doing what I could to survive, a blessing was delivered to me, though I didn't know it at the time._

* * *

Katrina sighed as she entered her small apartment, red curls in disarray as she scrubbed tiredly at her face. It had been a long day. She hated how her life was going right now. She should have been working in a lab, surrounded by high tech devices and other intelligent minds...instead, she was working at a diner until she could find someone to hire her; someone to look at the degree and intelligence behind the youthful face and age. Until that happened, however, she was stuck, putting her meager tips in a jar labeled "Katrina's Invention Fund" while her paycheck went to paying bills and buying food. The jar was at least three-quarters full, filled with crumpled bills and large amounts of change.

Katrina growled in frustration, tearing a irritated hand through her wild hair. She was tired, grouchy, and fed up with it all. Now, all she wanted to do was lay down and pretend her life was going to get better. She snatched her mail, filing systematically through the bills, credit card offers, and overall junk mail until she came to a...different letter.

It was sent from some plumbing business, yet it had **IMPORTANT** stamped on it. Suffice to say, Katrina was very curious, so she did the only logical thing; she opened it right up and read what the paper had to say.

 _Dear Miss Wailer,_

 _After years of observing your work, credentials, and experience, we have decided to offer you a chance to work with us as a part of our science and engineering department. However, before you can be fully integrated into our facility, we ask you to create a self-defense prototype that can be hidden conspicuously. We look forward to seeing what you come up with. Meet us at the address below in one month's time._

 _Sincerely,_

 _MMT_

Katrina stared at the paper for awhile, doubt filling her. What could a bunch of plumbers want with a self-defense prototype? And they've been _watching_ her? What-?

She jumped when her ringtone began blaring through the apartment. With a sigh, Katrina picked up the phone, groaning when she recognized the number of her employer. "Hello?"

 _"Katrina, I'm sorry, but William called out sick...again, and I need you to come in again. I'll pay you overtime, just **please** come in? We've got a late dinner rush!"_ Her manager rambled off quickly.

Katrina felt her shoulders sag. She hated this job; it wasn't her boss or the people...it was the fact that she felt all her potential was being wasted working at this diner. Her eyes trailed over to the letter and her saving jar, feeling her resolve harden.

"I'll be there in ten."

* * *

 _Should I have been more wary? Yes. Do I regret not being wary? Nope. But, we'll get into the reasons behind that in a little while._

 _Now, what followed receiving that letter was a month of planning, tinkering, building, testing, and mild fires that may have attracted some unwanted attention from the fire department._

 _Yeah, not my finest moment._

 _However, in the end, I did it. I successfully built what was asked from me and then some, scrounging whatever parts I could...do not ask where. With my low budget, though, I couldn't get the best materials, leaving my inventions with some...kinks._

 _At last, the day of reckoning had come. It was the day that would decide if I was finally going to become what I'd dreamed of for years..._

 _Or if I'd fail miserably. No pressure, though!_

* * *

Katrina bit her lip nervously as she waited outside the abandoned warehouse, silently questioning where all her common sense disappeared to. She fiddled nervously with her bag, and tugged at the sleeves of the cardigan she wore over her purple blouse, wondering where her possible employers were. She was beginning to believe this had all been a giant joke and was seriously contemplating leaving as she shifted from foot to foot, the rustle of her jeans echoing in the quiet atmosphere. However, the arrival of several trucks stopped her.

On the sides of the trucks were what appeared to be the infinity symbol, which made her nervous. The seal on the letter had been completely different. Her stomach plummeted when knights, _knights in full medieval times armor_ , exited the trucks.

Okay, she was fine with the mysterious meet up; in fact, she had been _desperate_. This, however, was not what she signed up for. Before she could escape, the knights had surrounded her, armed with high tech- _where those crossbows?!_ Katrina gulped in fear, gripping the strap of her bag harder.

"Um, hi?" she squeaked, attempting to hide her terror.

"Good day, Miss Wailer," one knight spoke, stepping in front of the rest. "I believe you were meeting someone today that you have no business meeting."

"Uh, what?"

The knight chuckled. "You see, Miss Wailer, the Plumbers do not deserve whatever device you have concocted; they will only abuse it to terrorize the people of Earth."

"...um, I doubt guys that fix sinks can use a self-defense prototype to terrorize people..."

All the knights began to laugh. "You don't even know who you're truly making devices for? Obviously, your age has made you overly naïve."

Katrina ground her teeth, fuming. How dare these...these arrogant freaks taunt her? How _dare_ they patronize her?!

"You are helping out the side that wishes humans and alien filth to live in peace together..."

"What are you talking about?!" Katrina shouted, fed up with them and the fact that these so called "Plumbers" hadn't shown up. "You know what? I don't care! I'm going home." The knights blocked her path. "Let me rephrase that: Get. Out. Of My. _Way_."

"We cannot let you leave with that technology," the knight spoke once again. "In fact, you may prove to be a great asset..."

Katrina stared at them incredulously. Were they seriously going to try to kidnap _her_? Her, the nerdy child prodigy?

The young woman sighed. "Yeah, I am _way_ too tired to panic right now...so, I'm just gonna...go."

Before the knights could react, she pulled a small, metallic object from her bag. She pressed a button on the side and watched as the object expanded into a nicely sized platform, which she stepped on and it began to hover. Katrina scoffed at the shocked aura coming off the knights. "Don't be so surprised. I designed this when I had the college lab and materials at my disposal." The hover board surged forward, and Katrina rode it like a pro, speeding over their heads and back towards town. The knights weren't giving up that easily.

"After her!" The knights gave chase.

She did a pretty good job evading them, that is...until they started shooting lasers at her.

"Not good! Not good!" she screamed, doing her best to dodge the lasers. "Okay! Retaliation time!" She swiveled to face her attackers as she shoved her cardigan sleeves up to her elbows, revealing metallic gauntlets that ranged from her wrists to just before her elbows, laced with circuitry. "Alright, let's see how you like this!" Katrina braced her right arm with her left, a laser raising from the metal before it fired at the knights. They scrambled to dodge the blue rays, since it seemed _her_ laser didn't take as much time to reload as theirs. She was holding her own until...

Katrina yelped as one knight got in a lucky shot at her hover-board, causing her to plummet towards Earth. She screamed, clenching her eyes shot as the ground approached...

Seconds passed, and she hadn't become a pancake yet...

Katrina opened her eyes, seeing she was still in the air. When she looked up, all color in her face faded as she stared at her fanged rescuer. Various noises attempted to escape her throat as she stared at the green, pointed mask that covered the upper portion of a pale face. Solid green eyes examined her carefully as they slowly descended. At last, they landed and Katrina struggled out of the stranger's arms in a panic.

Her brain was overloading; the brain that relied on logic and science to understand what happened around her and it was being destroyed by a...a...

"Miss, are you okay?" he asked, his fangs glinting menacingly.

"VAMPIRE!" she screamed, powering up her laser. "Get back before I fry you to a crisp!"

The vampire jumped back. "Wait! You misunderstand! I am not here to hurt-" He was cut off by the need to dodge a laser blast. "Please, we are trying to-"

Katrina kept blasting, starting to panic. She had no way of escaping and her laser was losing power...she had her sonic blaster in the other gauntlet, but it wasn't nearly as controlled as the laser...

"No!" she shrieked, seeing the laser power down. Katrina stared at the vampire, locking gazes before she took off. She didn't even notice that the knights had been defeated and were fleeing the scene. "Gotta get out of here!"

"I don't think so." Katrina slammed into another body and hit the ground with a thud. When she looked up, she was greeted by the scarred face of a Frankenstein-like creature. "Hello."

Katrina screamed once again, but couldn't run away since the monster grabbed her gently. She struggled to escape as the vampire approached her, another creature in his hand, this one much smaller and grey with green, frog-like eyes in a black and white jumpsuit. At this point, Katrina was bordering on hysteria as she writhed in the monster's grasp, screaming and shouting.

"Please, be calm!" the smaller creature implored, hopping over to Katrina's shoulder. "We came to assist you! The Forever Knights have retreated, and you're safe!"

It was all too much. Katrina promptly fainted, causing the aliens around her to gasp in alarm.

"Oh my," Whampire whispered, staring worriedly at the young woman. "It seems we overwhelmed her..."

"Poor thing, she's had quite the day," Frankenstrike added, adjusting Katrina so that she was cradled in his arms.

"Perhaps we should bring her to Headquarters," Grey Matter suggested, climbing to stand on Frankenstrike's shoulder. "The magister still wants to talk to her, and she can get looked over to make sure she's okay."

The other two aliens agreed and began their journey back to the Plumbers' Headquarters.

* * *

 _Yeah, this wasn't my proudest moment. In my defense, I am a very logical person...most of my decisions are based on what my mind deems the most logical choice. Monsters and aliens...those are illogical, made up, not suppose to exist. Yet, there they were, saving me from some crazy knights...they were real life superheroes right in front of me._

 _However, it took some time for me to get anywhere near comfortable around them._

* * *

Katrina awoke at last, groaning as her eyes opened and were greeted by a bright light. She sat up, pondering how in the world she got into what looked like a hospital room.

"Where...am I?" she asked aloud, expecting no response.

However, when she received one, she jumped.

"The medical wing of Plumbers' Headquarters." Her head snapped over to the direction of the voice, relieved when she saw a human and not some monstrous creature. "Hello, Miss Wailer. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Katrina examined the older man, taking in his gray hair, warm brown eyes, and face full of smiling lines. "Um, hello..."

"I'm sorry for all the trouble you've been caused," the man continued, pulling up a chair beside the bed she laid upon. "I thought we would be able to avoid such an incident if I were to ask you to meet somewhere out of town; make it harder for the Forever Knights and others like them to find out about you..."

"Wait, _you're_ the one that sent the letter? And who are the Forever Knights? And what were those _things_ that came out of nowhere?"

The man smiled. "Yes, I did. Magister Max Tennyson." She cautiously shook his hand. "The Forever Knights are a faction that aim to rid the world of all alien beings, hence why they were interested in you."

"What? First of all, aliens don't exist! Second of all, why would I be an interest to them? I haven't built any 'alien exterminating' devices."

"That's just the thing; you have great potential, Miss Wailer. We've been keeping an eye on you for awhile, now. You're just what we need in our science and engineering department! With your help, we can continue to keep everyone safe, aliens included."

Katrina was about to point out, yet again, the fact that aliens didn't exist, when the three monsters she had seen before walked through the door. She yelped, squishing herself against the wall at her back.

"It's okay," Max soothed. "These are three of our agents; I sent them once I realized the Forever Knights had you cornered. This is Whampire, Frankenstrike, and Grey Matter."

Katrina stared at them, her fear still evident. "And they're...aliens?"

"Yes," Whampire answered, smiling. "I am a Vladat, an alien vampire."

"I'm a Transylian," Frankenstrike added, also smiling at the young woman.

"And I am a Galvan," Grey Matter stated proudly, hands on his hips as he smiled.

Katrina began to smile. Grey Matter seemed to be very adorable and proud of his species.

"Also, this is some very interesting tech you've made," the Galvan continued, hopping from Whampire's hand to her bed and scurrying over to the metal covering her forearm. "It's very impressive, especially considering that you haven't used any alien tech and that the materials are not as advanced as usual for a device like this. How did you get the laser beams to be so powerful without overheating the device?"

Katrina blinked a couple times, but delved right into her explanation. "Well, as you can tell, I was on a limited budget, so I had to make do with what I had and could afford. I knew the cooling system wouldn't be able to handle a large laser with a ton of kick to it; however, I was able to magnify the beams power by using a special crystal tip to increase the power and an extended barrel to concentrate the multiple beams into one single shot. This way, the cooling system wouldn't fry, since all the heat would be escaping through each blast...however, through continued use, it does begin to overheat, and therefore shuts down to protect its user from any harm."

"Fascinating. What about your other gauntlet? Is it also a laser?" Grey Matter asked, excited at the prospect of finding yet another person to talk tech with.

"Sadly, no. It's a sonic blaster, but I'm still working out the kinks. It's just as powerful as the laser, but not nearly as controlled. One blast could knock out whoever I was fighting along with myself and anyone else around me." Katrina took off the other metal gauntlet and began to tinker with it. "I don't have the right components or materials to contain the sonic blast...even if I did, I'm still unsure on just _how_ I can contain the blast so that it only heads for what I aim at." A small part popped out, shaped like a small canon.

Grey Matter hummed, examining the canon. "Perhaps, if you extended the barrel, similar to that of your laser, you could gain a bit more control over where the blast is aimed, which might help you figure the path and strength of the sound waves..."

Katrina froze, her lips turning up into a smile. "And, if I recalibrated how many Hertz the canon uses per blast, while also factoring in the extended barrel, I can solve for the period and amplitude of the sound waves given off and calculate the strength, speed, and distance of the blast..."

"Meaning you could know how much power needed depending on the environment and distance of battle!" Grey Matter exclaimed happily. "Miss Wailer, you've got it!"

Katrina smiled, lowering her hand for the small alien to climb on. "Please, call me Katrina." She peeked at the other two aliens in the room, both of whom were watching them in amusement. "And thank you, for saving me. I'm sorry I was afraid when I saw you..."

Whampire chuckled. "That's okay; we know we're scary to new people."

Frankenstrike nodded. "We're just glad we got there in time."

Max cleared his throat, returning the other occupants' attention to him. "Now, Katrina, are you still interested in joining our department?"

Katrina bit her lip, gazing at the aliens smiling at her encouragingly, and one almost pleadingly. "Yes, I would love to."

The aliens cheered, Grey Matter going so far as to hug her. Katrina was a bit startle at the contact, but hugged the small alien back.

"That's great to hear!" Max smiled as he stood up. "I'll have your lab set up as soon as possible. For now, you'll be working at one of our other facilities that isn't quite known for its facilitation with us." Katrina nodded in understanding as Max continued, "I actually have something I want you to look into. It's called a Null Void projector, and I would love to see what enhancements you could come up with..."

* * *

 _Thankfully, after the whole Aggregor incident, my lab at Plumbers' HQ had been set up and I was ready for business! Whampire, Frankenstrike, and Grey Matter all came by to visit me and congratulate me. Grey Matter and I made the final adjustments on my sonic blaster, and he even helped me repair my hover-board, while also adding in some alien tech to teach me the uses of it and add speed and height for when I use it. They even told me about their home, the Grant Mansion, where a friend of theirs had taken them in, and protected them from people like the Forever Knights, and also took in children and others that were in need of a home._

 _It sounded like a paradise. I'm hoping one day I can visit it. This Rachel Jocklin sounds like a wonderful woman, and I can't wait to meet her and all the others at this mansion my three friends had described...that's kind of weird to say. All my life, I haven't had any true friends, and now..._

 _I have three._

 _So, you see, I may not be out there, fighting crime in a colorful super suit, but I'm fighting it behind the scenes; helping people and aliens wherever I can. I may not be the one blasting bad guys with awesome tech, but **I'm** the one **making** that tech. Life certainly has improved for me...and it continues to get better. Before I could have the happy ending, though, I had to visit someone and tell them just how far I've come..._

* * *

Katrina walked quietly towards the grave, a bouquet of flowers resting in the crook of her arm. She kneeled down on the grass, placing the bouquet of white carnations before the five year old marble tombstone. It seemed like just yesterday, she was kneeling before this very grave, begging its occupant to come back; to not leave her alone.

"I know you never liked flowers all that much...but I bought these because they reminded me of that time I entered the high school science fair and won. You knew I would, and bought me a big bouquet of these flowers. When I asked you why white, you said, 'White means new beginnings, and your story is just starting'. Well, Big Brother, a new beginning is starting for me...and you're still with me. I hope I'm making you proud of me. Your story entered its epilogue...but mine...mine is starting a brand new chapter." She pressed a kiss to her finger tips, and then pressed her fingers to the headstone. "Until next time, Isaac. I love you."

Katrina stood up, dusting the grass off her knees as she departed, ready to start the next chapter in her life.

* * *

 **So there you have it! Now, you know how Katrina got to where she is today! I may start writing one-shots of her, but my main focus is on Seafarer, since I did write that first. This was an idea that had been circling around in my head ever since I created Katrina. I hope you guys liked it! And please, no flames.**


End file.
